By its own estimate, the government made about $100 billion in payments last year to people who may not have been entitled to receive them — tax credits to families that didn't qualify, unemployment benefits to people who had jobs and medical payments for treatments that might not have been necessary.

A government watchdog confirmed today what airline passengers are finding when they try to book a flight: Service to communities of all sizes is declining, but especially to small and medium-size airports.

The number of safety violations at U.S. nuclear power plants varies dramatically from region to region, pointing to inconsistent enforcement in an industry now operating mostly beyond its original 40-year licenses, according to a congressional study awaiting release.

Major contractors hooking up the internal plumbing of President Barack Obama's health care law projected confidence today that they will be ready to go by an Oct. 1 deadline, even though the system is still being tested.